Gravitational wave imaging

ABSTRACT

A gravitational wave generating device is positioned on one side of a material object and a gravitational wave detection device is positioned on the other side of the material object. The intervening material object&#39;s texture and internal structure will modify the gravitational wave&#39;s polarization, amplitude, speed, frequency, or other characteristics and serve to image the material object&#39;s texture and internal structure when the gravitational wave detector on the other side of the material object is connected to a display device. In a preferred embodiment an array of detectors and a gravitational wave lens or lenses can serve to accentuate and concentrate the image of the material object&#39;s texture and internal structure. The gravitational waves can also be generated by a celestial background source or sources. Multiple gravitational wave generators and/or detectors, which can be in motion, can be utilized in order to obtain stereoptical, three-dimensional views of the material object&#39;s texture and internal structure and to eliminate or screen out unwanted features of the material object.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. applicationSer. No. 09/752,975 filed Dec. 27, 2000 which is a continuation-in-partof U.S. application Ser. No. 09/616,683, filed Jul. 14, 2000, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,417,597, issue date Jul. 9, 2002, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/443,527, filed Nov.19, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,336, issue date Dec. 12, 2000, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] According to previous scientific analysis, the speed of agravitational wave is reduced in a superconductor. This analysis leadsto utilizing a superconductor, particularly a high-temperaturesuperconductor (HTSC), as a refractive medium. One then can fabricate alens from such a refractive medium. The use of this type of lens isespecially promising for High-Frequency Gravitational Waves (HFGW) sincethe shorter the wavelength, the less is the diffraction and the greaterthe resolution. At a one GHz frequency the GW wavelength is 30 [cm] andat one THz it is 0.3 [mm]. The diffraction of HFGW causes a fanning outof the HFGW from any aperture; for example, a spreading out from theaperture at the “end” of a HFGW generator or from the aperture(diameter) of a HFGW lens. Because of diffraction, the image of a pointsource, such as a distant stellar source of HFGW, is not a point, butspreads out into what is termed a spurious disk, surrounded by alternateconcentric rings of the presence or absence (interspace) of HFGW.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] Robert ML Baker, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,597, issue date Jul.9, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,336,issue date Dec. 12, 2000 and of patent application Ser. No. 09/752,975Filed Dec. 27, 2000 describes various devices for the generation anddetection of gravitational waves. Also described in the '975 applicationis a lens system for use in focusing and/or concentrating gravitationalwaves. The primordial or relic cosmic gravitational wave background,which can be utilized as a natural source of gravitational waveillumination, is discussed by R. Brustein, M. Gasperini, M. Giovannini,and G. Veneziano (1995), “Relic gravitational waves from stringcosmology”, Physics Letters B, Volume 361 pp. 45-51. The fact that, forexample, the speed of gravitational waves can be changed by the materialthrough which it passes is discussed on page 5491 of Ning Li and DouglasG. Torr (1992), “Gravitational effects on the magnetic attenuation ofsuper conductors”, Physical Review B, Volume 46, Number 9.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides a gravitational wave source orsources on one side of a material object and a gravitational wavedetector or detectors on an opposite side together with a displaydevice, such as a computer screen, to image the material object'stexture and/or internal structure. The detectors reveal the texture andinternal structure of the material object in much the same way as X-raysdo in the electromagnetic wave spectrum. In the case of X-rays theelectromagnetic radiation is far less penetrating than the gravitationalradiation. Gravitational waves can, in fact, propagate directly throughthe Earth. The source of the gravitational waves can be one or more ofthe gravitational wave generators described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,417,597,6,160,336, and patent application Ser. No. 09/752,975 filed Dec. 27,2000. The source can also be the primordial or relic cosmic backgroundor other source or sources. The gravitational wave detector or detectorscan be those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,597 and in the '975application. Multiple gravitational wave generators and/or detectors,which can be in motion relative to the material object, can be utilizedto provide a stereoptical or three-dimensional view of the materialobject's texture and/or internal structure and/or suppress or screen outunwanted features of the material object's texture or internalstructure. The gravitational wave generators and/or detectors can be inmotion relative to the material object as, for example, beingEarth-satellite based.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The foregoing features and advantages of the present inventionwill be more fully understood by reference to the following detaileddescription of the invention viewed in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which

[0006]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an imaging gravitational wavesystem having a source for generating gravitational waves through amaterial object and which are projected on to a detector connected to adisplay device.

[0007]FIG. 2 is a schematic of the same imaging system as in FIG. 1 witha gravitational wave lens interposed between the gravitational wavesource and the material object.

[0008]FIG. 3 is a schematic of the same imaging system as in FIG. 2 witha gravitational wave lens interposed between the material object and thedetector.

[0009]FIG. 4 is a schematic of the same imaging system as in FIG. 1utilizing two movable gravitational wave generators.

[0010]FIG. 5 is a schematic of the same imaging system as in FIG. 1utilizing two or more movable detectors or arrays of detectors,connected to a display computer which is connected to a display device.

[0011]FIG. 6 is a schematic of the same imaging system as in FIG. 1wherein the source of gravitational waves is a celestial backgroundsource.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0012] The present invention utilizes a gravitational wave source orsources on one side of a material object and a gravitational wavedetector or detectors on an opposite side together with a displaydevice, which could be a computer screen, to image the material object'stexture and/or internal structure.

[0013] In FIG. 1 a gravitational wave source, such as a gravitationalwave generator 1 on one side of a material object 2 generatesgravitational waves 3 that are modified by a material object's textureor internal structure 4 and the gravitational waves are projectedagainst a detector or array of detectors 5 that are connected 6 to adisplay device 7, such as a computer screen, to present an image of thetexture or internal structure of the material object created by themodified gravitational waves.

[0014] In FIG. 2 a gravitational wave lens 8 is interposed between thegravitational wave generator 1 and the material object 2 in order toaccentuate the texture and/or internal structure 4 view of the materialobject on the display device 7.

[0015] In FIG. 3 a gravitational wave lens 9 is disposed between thematerial object 2 and the detector or array of detectors 5 in order toaccentuate the texture and/or internal structure 4 of the materialobject on the display device 7.

[0016] In FIG. 4 there are two or more gravitational wave generators 10,which may be in motion 11 relative to the material object, in order toprovide for a three-dimensional of the texture or internal structure ofthe material object.

[0017] In FIG. 5 there are two or more detectors or arrays of detectors12, which may be in motion 13 relative to the material object andconnected 14 via a display computer 15 to a display device 7, such as acomputer screen, in order to provide for a three-dimensional view of thetexture and/or internal structure of the material object.

[0018] In FIG. 6 the gravitational waves are generated by a celestialsource 16 such as the relic or primordial cosmic background.

[0019] There are several applications of the HFGW refraction property asapplied to imaging. These are as follows:

[0020] HFGW Telescope

[0021] A HFGW Telescope has two major components and a third componentis required to test it. The first component is a one toone-hundred-meter diameter multifaceted lens composed of a mosaic ofseveral high-temperature superconductors (tiles) or other media thatwill refract and focus HFGW. A 10-inch diameter, 0.5-inch thicksuperconducting disk was fabricated in March 1997 at the University ofAlabama. Superconductor Components, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio hasfabricated an approximately 6-inch diameter Yttrium-Barium-Copper-Oxide(YB₂C₃O_(7-δ)) or YBCO HTSC disk for NASA to test. For large-diameterHFGW Telescope objective lenses one can utilize far less expensive(though somewhat lower temperature, that is lower than the temperatureof liquid Helium that allows YBCO to superconduct) HTSC such assteel-clad MgB₂. Note that since GW can pass through any materialwithout attenuation, such as the detectors on the focal plane (surface)themselves, the slope of the marginal ray through the lens at the imagecan exceed 90° and can be incident on the “wrong side” of the detectorarray. Thus focal ratios less than 0.5 might be achieved.

[0022] The second component is a HFGW detector (or matrix of detectorelements under computer control) placed on the focal plane (or surface)of the HFGW lens. Unlike the Low-Frequency Gravitational (LFGW)detectors such as Cal tech's Laser Interferometric GravitationalObservatory or LIGO (having interferometric-arm dimensions of hundredsor thousands of meters), the HFGW detectors use nanoscale. The thirdcomponent, needed for optical-bench testing of the HFGW Telescope is theHFGW generator device itself.

[0023] HFGW Communication System Lenses

[0024] Three types of HFGW communications are contemplated by thepresent invention. They are interstellar-spacecraft, transglobal, andminiaturized-transceiver local communication.

[0025] Interstellar-Spacecraft Communication

[0026] In the case of interstellar communications with an interstellarspacecraft at 300 THz (λ_(GW)=10⁻⁶ [m]), a three-meter-diametertransmitter (or HFGW generator) is provided on board the spacecraft.HFGW beam widening will accrue, due to diffraction, like a cone with a1.22λ_(GW)/width-of-source=1.22×10⁻⁶ [m]/3[m]=4×10⁻7 [radian] apexangle, α_(d). Thus over a distance of 10 light years or 9.5×101⁶ μl, thesignal at the focal plane of the receiving HFGW Telescope will bereduced by a factor of{Gathering  Power}{Area  of  Transmitter  Beam}/{Area  of  Beam  Spread  by  Diffraction} = {7 × 10¹⁵}{π(3  [m]/2)²}/{π(9.5 × 10¹⁶  [m] × 4 × 10⁻⁷  [radians]/2)²} = 5 × 10¹⁶/1.14 × 10²¹ = 4.4 × 10⁻⁵.

[0027] From Shannon's [5] equation, C. B. Shannon (1948), Bell SystemsTechnical Journal, Volume 27, page 623, the maximum information rate, C,is given by

C=Blog ₂ (1+S/N)

[0028] where B is the band width, say 300 THz or B=3×10¹⁴ [Hz] and theGW flux at the transmitter (or HFGW generator) is 10¹⁰ [watts/m²] sothat S=(3×10¹⁰) (4.4×10⁻⁵)=1.32×10⁶ [watts/m²], and with hypothesizednoise, N=10⁻8 [watts/m²], we have

C=3×10¹⁴ log₂{1+(1.32×10⁶/10⁻⁸}=3×10¹⁴ {log₂1.32×10¹⁴)} 1.4×10¹⁶ [bps]

[0029] or 14 Qbps (Quadra bits per second) maximum information transferrate.

[0030] Transglobal Communication

[0031] The approximate bandwidth a HFGW transglobal communication systemaccording to the present invention can achieve is obtained as follows:The distance between a HFGW generating or transmitting device and areceiver or detector is set at about one Earth's radius, 7,000 [km]. Forthe preferred longitudinal-jerk, linear-motor situation (U.S. Pat. No.6,417,597) the signal strength, S is calculated. In this device thecoherent GW emanates from one end of a 3 [km] diameter HFGW generatorand spreads out like a cone (having an apex angle, α_(d)=1.22 cΔt/3[m]=(4×10⁸) (10⁻¹²)/10×10⁻⁴ [radians]) resulting in an area ofn(1×10⁻⁴×7×10⁶/2)²=3.8×10⁵ [m²] some 7000 [cm] away with average of1[watt/m²]. Thus

S=(1)(0.1)/(3.8×10⁵)=2.5×10⁻⁷ [watts/m²].

[0032] n optical system at the 7,000 [km] distant receiver would beutilized. The same optical system as the telescope previously describedherein operative at 300 THz, would produce a gain or amplification of7×10¹⁵ so that the signal at the receiver would be 1.75×10⁶ [watts/m²].

[0033] There are several advantages to a HFGW transglobal communicationsystem:

[0034] Reduced cost due to avoidance of interconnecting network costs.

[0035] Increased bandwidth due to the Quadrahertz or Qbps capability ofHFGW. The higher the frequency, the more efficient the GW generation.Moreover the GW spectrum is essentially unlimited.

[0036] There will be less interfering noise, e.g., no solar-activitynoise, no overhead-power-line noise, no multiple-path ghosts powernoise, no multiple-path ghosts.

[0037] HFGW will reduce transmission time delay. GW transmits directlythrough the Earth without circuitous fiber-optic, satellite, ormicrowave interconnecting networks. The intercontinental one-way timedelay will be less than the ratio of the diameter of the Earth dividedby the speed of light or 12.8×10⁶/3×10⁸=0.043 [sec] or 43 milliseconds.

[0038] Expansion of a HFGW network is inexpensive since there is no needfor an interconnecting network.

[0039] Through-Material Imaging System

[0040] Suppression of the various features of the Earth's interior fromnear-surface features at or near the lithosphere is contemplated. Thisis accomplished bby dynamically shifting HFGW frequencies and scanningbetween HFGW generators distributed around the United States andsatellite-borne HFGW detector arrays sweeping up data from the oppositeside of the Earth (scanning). Different HFGW frequencies may bescattered, refracted, polarization shifted, etc. by interior features ofthe Earth differently than from certain interesting features relativelynear the Earth's surface or in the ocean—thereby allowing for a“filtering” process. By having different paths between HFGW generated inthe United States and the receiving satellite (or satellites) detectorarrays could “triangulate” and differentiate between “deep” and“superficial” features in or near the lithosphere.

[0041] Lenses for concentrating and focusing the HFGW could bepositioned directly in front of the HFGW generator as, 8, in FIG. 2 ornear the detection device as, 9, in FIG. 3.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for imaging the texture and/or internalstructure of a material object comprising a source of gravitationalwaves, located on one side of a material object; a gravitational wavedetection device located on the opposite side of the material object anda display device connected to the detection device.
 2. A deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein a gravitational wave lens is interposedbetween the gravitational wave source and the material object.
 3. Adevice according to claim 1 wherein a gravitational wave lens isinterposed between the material object and the gravitational wavedetection device.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the source ofthe gravitational waves is two or more gravitational wave generationdevices.
 5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the gravitational wavegeneration devices are in motion.
 6. A device according to claim 1wherein there is a plurality of gravitational wave detection devices areprovided.
 7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the gravitationalwave detection devices are in motion.
 8. A device according to claim 1wherein the gravitational wave source is celestial.